CONVICTED (2013) | Victoria Jill Sams, born 24 June 1977, and husband David John Sams, born c. 1974, of Dorlonco Villas, Meadowfield, Durham DH7 8RZ – neglected two dogs so badly they had to be put to sleep
Vicky and David Sams locked their two dogs in squalid pens riddled with faeces
RSPCA inspector Nick Jones discovered Rottweiler Kizzy and collie cross Ebby living in deplorable conditions at the couple’s home in December 2012.
Both dogs were being held in an outdoor pen and kennel area, with no bedding and surrounded by faeces.
The two dogs were emaciated and close to death. Sadly neither dog survived.
Kevin Campbell, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said that inspectors found Kizzy in a ‘collapsed and almost rigid state’.
She had a piece of bone wedged in her mouth which prevented her from eating and caused a tetanus infection.
He said: ‘The dog was struggling to breathe; it would die without immediate vet’s attention.’
Ebby was so emaciated and riddled with arthritis she could barely stand. She later found to be suffering from an organ ailment known as Cushing’s disease.
Mr Campbell said that Ebby ‘would have been in severe pain and had muscle wastage and arthritis. She should have been on pain relief long before the vet saw her. The dog would have died within a few days.’
A veterinary examination rated both dogs’ health at level one – the worst on a nine point scale. Kizzy was immediately put down and Ebby was put down a few days later with the Sams’ consent. Afterwards, Mr Jones said it was the most distressing incident he had dealt with in recent memory.
Sentence: six-month community orders; £1060 each in vets’ fees, costs and charges. Banned from keeping any animals for life.
Until recently Vicky Sams had a popular YouTube channel under the name ‘Vicky Mouse’. Sams, who described herself as a Christian, used her channel to review products she had bought from budget retailers such as B&M. She was forced to close her account after followers discovered her animal cruelty conviction.
CONVICTED (2013) | Avon Vale Hunt joint huntmaster Stuart Timothy Radbourne, born April 1984, of The Common, Chippenham SN15 2JJ and terrierman Benjamin George Pethers, born c. 1984, of Hoopers Pool, Southwick, Trowbridge BA14 9NG – “interfered” with a badger set.
Avon Vale joint huntmaster Stuart Radbourne (left) and terrierman Ben Pethers admitted interfering with a badger sett
Stuart Radbourne and Ben Pethers claimed they were trying to find a lost terrier called Jimmy after they were caught digging frantically at a badger sett.
The pair were charged with the badger set attack and jointly charged with breaching the Hunting Act along with Jonathon Seed, born February 1958, the former master of the Avon Vale Hunt, and two other hunt staff, Paul Tylee-Hinder, born c. 1954, and Josh Charlesworth, born c. 1994.
L-R Avon Vale Hunt employees Stuart Radbourne, Paul Tylee-Hinder, Ben Pethers and Joshua CharlseworthConservative councillor and former hunt master Jonathan Seed branded the court case a ‘complete outrage’
The RSPCA ultimately dropped the hunting charges after Radbourne and Pethers pleaded guilty to interfering with a badger sett.
The court heard that on March 6 ,2012, the five men, who were out hunting, were alerted that their dogs had marked a fox in a nearby field.
Radbourne and Pethers, who were riding on a quad bike, reached the area first and began to assess the situation.
They let the inexperienced terrier, Jimmy, loose and he ran off and disappeared.
The huntsmen located the dog in the sett after they heard barking from below the ground.
They tried to use a location collar to pull him out but when that failed they began digging at the ground to free him, the court was told.
Jeremy Cave, prosecuting, said: ‘An onlooker saw the men digging in the sett and describes the digging as furious with soil flying.
‘The police and the RSPCA turned up and the men were questioned.
‘There had been considerable interference with the set, digging and filling in the entrances. In total there were 15 entrances to the sett, 11 of which had been blocked.
‘RSPCA Inspector Ian Burns, who turned up at the site, described it as “the worst find he has ever witnessed in his 25 years of being an inspector”.’
He added that Radbourne had been seen by another onlooker waist deep in the sett digging.
Avon Vale Hunt employee Paul Tylee-Hinder from Calne, Wiltshire and his terrier
The traumatised terrier eventually resurfaced two hours after he had first become stuck, suffering deep cuts and puncture wounds to his neck and face.
The RSPCA had originally brought charges against all five huntsman of breaking the Hunting Act ban, but decided to drop the cases after accepting the guilty pleas from Radbourne and Pethers.
Seed, of Bromham, Tylee-Hinder, of Calne, and Charlesworth, of East Tytherton, all denied any wrong-doing.
Clive Rees, defending Radbourne, told the court: ‘It was certainly a badger sett and it was accepted that he had been the one who was up to his waist in it and he took full responsibility for that.
‘But it was out of concern for the terrier.
‘Mr Radbourne accepted his responsibility from the beginning. Seeing it was an active badger set made him even more concerned about Jimmy.’
Janet Gedrych, for Mr Pethers, said her client had accepted that it was ‘reckless’ to let Jimmy free.
‘It was clear that Jimmy had escaped and it was reckless to allow the dog out of the cage before fully investigating,’ he said.
‘He accepts that he was digging in an effort to find his dog, he didn’t intentionally set out to damage the sett but he acted recklessly to find his lost dog.’
Stuart Radbourne pictured arriving at court
District Judge Cooper told the pair: ‘In my mind the main aspect of this case was a failure to control Jimmy.
‘Reliable or not, he should have been kept in his box. He got out and disappeared down the sett.
‘Why he did it is speculation, but that he should have been allowed to do it was wrong. You are both responsible and you both could have prevented it.’
The RSPCA inspector who compiled the case against the five men said he would have been ‘heavily criticised’ if he had walked away from prosecution.
Inspector Ian Burns said: ‘There was severe damage to that badger sett and with all the money it has cost I would have been heavily criticised if I had walked away and left it.
‘I have had 25 years’ experience as a wildlife officer and I have dealt with numerous badger cases and that is the biggest, deepest, hole that I have seen dug.’
A spokesman for the RSPCA added: ‘The RSPCA received a call that a group of men had been seen on and around a badger sett in Stockley Hollow at the time that the Avon Vale was riding in the vicinity.
‘On examining the area, RSPCA inspector Ian Burns found that a large hole had been dug directly down into the active badger sett, breaking a tunnel and entrances had been blocked up.
‘A small Patterdale terrier emerged from the sett, muddy, dazed and bleeding badly from his jaw. He was fitted with an underground location collar.
‘The dog, which belonged to Pethers, was taken to a vet who found his injuries were consistent with having been attacked by the claws and teeth of an animal whilst underground.
‘The defendants gave conflicting accounts at the scene including chasing foxes, rabbits and searching for a lost dog.’
The badger sett where the men were spotted was in Stockley Hollow, near Calne, Wiltshire.
Sentencing | each ordered to pay a £300 fine, £250 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
Three members of the Avon Vale Hunt have been arrested on suspicion of wildlife offences after a video emerged online appearing to show people pulling a fox out of a den.
According to various hunt saboteur groups, Stuart Radbourne is one of the three, alongside whipper-in Aaron Fookes. The identity of the third man has not yet been confirmed.
Aaron Fookes (left) with Stuart Radbourne
The clip shows one fox being pulled out of its den before another jumps out from underground.
Cheers and laughter are then heard as the hounds apparently pursue the foxes.
The British Hounds Sports Association (BHSA) immediately suspended Avon Vale Hunt from its organisation pending an investigation and has summoned the joint masters, acting chairman and kennel huntsman to BHSA headquarters to explain themselves.
In a statement, the BHSA said: “The panel found that on the balance of probabilities the evidence revealed serious breaches of the core principles and rules of the BHSA.”
It said the panel “were minded to permanently to expel the hunt and its masters, huntsman and kennel huntsman from membership of the BHSA.
“This would mean that in all probability the Hunt would no longer be able to function.”
The Wiltshire hunt has 14 days to respond to the findings.
#MostEvil | Jack Carling, born 30/04/1994, previously of Euston Close, Hull and more recently (2019) living at 17 Lupton Road, Sheffield S8 7NE – tortured his two dogs with daily beatings; one dog had to have an eye removed, suffered a broken hip and leg and permanent facial injury. He later died from his injuries.
Dog abuser Jack Carling from Hull and Biggie, who later died from his injuries.
Gentle Staffie Biggie was beaten so badly by his cruel owner Jack Carling that he lost an eye and was left permanently disabled. Whilst he initially seemed to be recovering, he died from his injuries just one month after Carling was jailed.
Troy Allen, who lived with Carling in Farringdon Street, west Hull, said Biggie and his other dog Sophie lived in fear of their owner.
Prosecutor Philip Brown said: “Troy said Jack would get angry with the dogs, he witnessed him beating the dogs. He said they would get into the smallest of spaces to hide from him.
“He said he would beat them every day. He didn’t let them out, they would just stay on the sofa, scared.”
Biggie and Sophie were seized by the RSPCA on January 7, 2013.
September 2020 image of vicious dog killer Jack Carling
Mr Brown said: “Vets said there was evidence of a self-healed fracture to the leg and a fracture to the hip.
“There was also an injury to an eye, which required it to be removed. That was caused by trauma.
“[Biggie] was also suffering a nasal discharge, which was treated with antibiotics but kept returning. It was causing such concern that vets decided to carry out an invasive, intensive operation to open up the nasal cavity.”
During the operation, vets noticed part of Biggie’s skull was ten times thicker than it should be. There was also damage to cartilage and tissue, which vets concluded was also the result of trauma.
Mr Brown said: “He was caused immense physical suffering by the repeated malicious trauma inflicted on him.
“He has experienced daily fear, wondering what would happen to him next. He is disabled for life. The vet says it is upsetting to think this lovely-natured dog could be subjected this degree of treatment.”
The court heard the dogs were also kept in “wholly unsuitable” living conditions, with the floor covered in urine and excrement.
When RSPCA inspector Hannah Bryer began investigating the case, Carling told her: “I don’t know who you think you are and I don’t care what you say.You won’t do anything anyway, they’re not that bad.”
Carling pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering, failing to prevent suffering from injury or disease and failing to provide a suitable living environment.
He has several previous convictions for violence.
Carling’s solicitor Michael Robinson said: “I have known Jack for many years and I am surprised at the extent of the suffering he accepts causing this animal.”
Carling had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, he said.
Judge Rutherford said: “It is rare that I have seen a dog subjected to such acts over such a long period to of time to survive.
“The dog has been left disabled as a direct consequence. You have shown complete arrogance in the manner you have behaved towards the animal and those investigating this case.”
Just a month after his vicious owner was sentenced, Biggie very sadly succumbed to his injuries. Sentence: jailed for three months and banned from keeping animals for life.
Carling was jailed again in July 2015 after threatening his neighbour with a samurai sword. He was described in court as having “a violent streak” (original newslink, Hull Daily Mail, removed).
CONVICTED (2013) | Kathleen Ann Crowley, born 07/11/1964, partner David Wright born c. 1967, and daughter Vanessa Chantelle Crowley, born 23/09/1990, previously all of Canterbury Avenue, Bradford BD5 – convicted of animal welfare offences after a starving dog was found buried under a pile of bikes in garden and three others in filthy condition.
Kathleen Crowley, who as of 2019 is living in Curlew Street, Bradford BD5 9RE, subjected a German shepherd found buried under a pile of bikes in her garden to months of despicable neglect. The unnamed dog was so malnourished and unwell he had to be put down.
The Crowleys’ dog had been starved and neglected for months
Crowley’s daughter Vanessa Crowley, most recent known address Little Horton Lane, Bradford BD5 9DG, and partner David Wright also lived at the address and joined her in the dock. They both pleaded guilty to failing to provide dogs with a suitable environment.
The dog was discovered by an RSPCA officer who visited Crowley’s home.
Three bull terriers were also discovered living in poor conditions at the property.
Nigel Monaghan, prosecuting for the RSPCA, described how floors in the house were “filthy” and the kitchen “covered with dirt and grime”.
Maria Temkow, mitigating, said she had health difficulties and was unable to look after herself or animals.
A neighbour, who lived next door to the defendants, said: ‘I have seen the dog on a few occasions in the garden whimpering.
‘The dog always looked tired and unenergetic.
‘The smell was so bad that in the summer we could not even open the windows.”
